Article of furniture



Dec. 5-, 1933. c. R. UHL

ARTICLE OF FURNITURE Patented Dec. 5, 1933 ARTICLE OF FURNITURE v Clement R. Uhl, Toledo,

Ohio, assignor to The Toledo Metal Furniture Company, Toledo, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Original application May 15, 1931, Serial No.

537,511. Divided and this application 29,1932. Serial No. 630,800

' Claims. (011155-138) This invention relates to swivel chairs and other articles of a similar vertically adjustable type, and particularly to the base or pedestal member thereof. v v

The object of the invention is the provision of an improved form-oi. pedestal for articles of the character described, which is simple, strong and durable in its construction, and which provides a simple and eflicient means for attaching the legs to and firmly bracing, them with respect to the pedestal body.

This application is a division of my application, Serial No. 537,511, filed May 15, l931.-

The invention is fully described in the following specification, and while it is capable of embodiment in different forms, one embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which-- i V Figure 1 is a side elevation of a chair embodying the invention with the back broken away. Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of the portion of the device embodying the invention with parts broken away and parts in central longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a reduced sectionon the lines 3-3 in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 in Fig. 2. a Referring to the drawing, 1 designates the base or standard of a chair of theswivel pedestal type, and 2 the seat thereof which is carried for swivel and vertical adjusting movements by the base.

V The base 1 includes a hollow tubular metallic body member 3 and a plurality of supporting legs 4 projecting outwardly and, downwardly therefrom, and preferably carrying casters 5 at their lower'ends. The legs 4, in the present instance, are formed from sheet metal, being of inverted U-form in cross-section and provided at their inner ends with edge flanges 6, which fit against the outer cylindrical surface of the body member 3 to which they are spot-welded,

or otherwise suitably secured, as well understood in the art.

The upper end of the body member 3 is prefer- 1 ably formed with a radially inturned flange 7 providing an opening in inwardly spaced relation to the body portion of the member 3 for receiving and guiding the vertical adjustable rack member 8 of the chair. A free edge of the flange '1 is turned inwardly lengthwise of the body member to form a broadened bearing surface for the rack member. An annular plate 9 is sleeved on the lower end of the tubular member 3, being preferably secured thereto by spot-welding, and extends radially therefrom substantially 'to at August point where it engages the lower edges of the legs 4 and then continues outward a distance on a downwardly extending incline conforming to the incline of the lower edges of the legs and in-contact with such edges. v i

A second annular plate 10 is sleeved around the rack member 8 slightly below the lower end of the bodymember 3 to form a bearing for the member 8 in vertical register with the upper bearing provided therefor by the flange '7. The plate 10 extends radially from its sleeved bearing portion in vertically spaced substantially parallel relation to the radial portion of the plate 9,-to provide a space '11 therebetween, and then meets the inclined portion ofthe plate 9 and continues outwardly in flat parallel contact therewith preferably to its outer edge.

The plates 9 and 10 havetheir inclined outer edge portions firmly secured together and to the respective l gs 4by bolts 12, which bolts extend through apertures in the plates and have their nut members 13 firmly held within the hollow of --the resp ective leg. In the present instance, each nut 13 isheld within a U-shaped clip 14 to prevent the nut from turning relative to the clip, and such clip is fitted into the hollow of the respective leg 4 with its leg portions extending up.-

ward in contact with the side walls of the pedestal leg and spot-welded or otherwise rigidly secured thereto. Tongues 15 project from the side edges'of the leg portionof each clip 14 and engage over theadjacent edges of the nuts to cooperate with the leg portions of the clips to retain the nuts therein and to holdthem against turning. I

The plates 9 and 10, in cooperation with the leg-attaching means, provide a very strong, durable and eflicient bracing means for the legs 4 and obviate the necessity of using cross-braces, which are commonly provided between the lower end portions of the legs of pedestals of this type. The legs 4 preferably have the open'sides of their channels closed outwardly from the edges of the plates 9 and 10 by metal strips 16,'both to improve the appearance of the legs and to add strength thereto. r It is apparent that the tubular member 3 and plates 9 and 10 constitute the body member of the basel and that the inturned flange '7 and the sleeve portion of the plate 19 form-bearings 1'7 and 18, respectively, for'receiving and guiding the longitudinal movements of the rack member 8.

The rack member 3, in the present instance,

is of tubular form and provided along one side sectional form of the member portions or" the with a laterally projecting longitudinally extending rib portion, which is provided with equally spaced cross-notches 19 to form rack teeth 20 therebetween. It is apparent that the bearings 17 and 18 for the rack member 8 are not a true circular form, but conform in shape to the crosssuch member against turning therein while permitting it to have free movements axially thereof;

A spindle 23 is rotatably mounted in the rack member 8 for longitudinal movements with said member. a a

A spiral member 24 is mounted within the hollow bottom member 3 in encircling relation'to the rack member 8 and has an internal spiral thread in meshing engagement with the teeth 20 of the rack member to effect longitudinal adjustment of said member when the spiral member is turned. The spiral member 24 is provided at its lower end with a flange 26 projecting outwardly under the lower end of the tube 3 and into the space 11 between the plates 9 and 10, said flange being perforated near its outer edge to provide an annular series of teeth to adapt the flange to act as a pinion. The flange 26 is fixed to the member 24, as by spot-welding, and rests on the plate 10, which supports it and the spiral member 2a in position within the tube 3. A drive pinion 28 is carried by a crank-shaft 29 and has its top edge portion projecting through an opening 3 inthe plate 10 and in driving engagement with the teeth of the flange 26. Theshaft 29 is jcur naled in a bearing bracket 31 secured to and depending from the underside of the plate 10, and its outer end is provided with a crank 32, disposed in convenient position between two of the legs 4 of the standard. V

I wish it understood that rhyinvention is not limited to any specific construction, arrangement or form of the parts, as it is capable of numerous modifications and changes without departing from the spirit of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States-Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device of the class described, a standard having a hollow body member, legs fixed to and projecting outwardly and downwardly from said member and being of channel form with their channels opening downwardly, nut-holding clips secured in the channels of said legs, means fixed to and projecting radially from the lower end of the body member beneath the'innerend legs and in engagement therewith, and bolts securing said means to the legs 8, thus holding from said portion, said legs being of inverted channel form in cross-section with their channels opening downwardly, clips secured in the channels of said legs, means fixed to and projecting outwardly from the lower end of the body member beneath the inner end portions of the legs and in engagement therewith, and bolts connecting said means and clips and securing the means firmly to the legs.

3. In a device of the class described, a pedestal body, legs fixed to and projecting outwardly and downwardly from said body and being of hollow form with opposing-side walls, a cross member disposed within each leg and attached to the side walls thereof, bracing means secured to and projecting outwardly from the lower end of the body member and having engagement with the lower edges of the legs, and detachable means connecting said cross members and bracing means and serving to firmly connect the legs and bracing means; V

4. In a device of the class described, a pedestal body, legs fixed to and projecting outwardly and downwardly from said body and being of channel form with their channelsopeningdownwardly, a U -shaped clip mounted in each leg with its legs rigidly attached to the side walls of the respective leg, leg-bracing meanssecured to and projecting outwardly from the lower end of the body member in engagement with the lower edges of the body legs, with a bolt associated witheach leg and projecting through the bracing means and into the leg and through'the web portion of. the associated clip with a portion thereof held'against turning by said clip.

5. In a device of the class described, a pedestal gf cured to and projecting outwardly from the lower end of the body member and in engagementwith the lower edges of the body legs, and a bolt projected through said bracing means and clip to firmly attach the bracing means to the legand having its nut held in the clip by said tongues.

' CLEMENT R. UHL,

iiio 

